Environmental Control Technology

Types of Degrees Environmental Control Technology Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many environmental control technology graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Undergraduate Certificate	3,743
Basic Certificate	3,573
Associate Degree	1,111
Bachelor’s Degree	174
Master’s Degree	89

What Environmental Control Technology Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to environmental control tech were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Environmental Control Tech Majors

Environmental Control Tech majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

Skills for Environmental Control Tech Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to environmental control tech:

• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
• Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Abilities for Environmental Control Tech Majors

Environmental Control Tech majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Environmental Control Technology Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with environmental control tech:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Commercial and Industrial Designers	4.3%	$66,590
Electrical Engineering Technologists	5.2%	$63,200
Electromechanical Engineering Technologists	5.2%	$63,200
Electronics Engineering Technologists	5.2%	$63,200
Environmental Engineering Technicians	12.4%	$50,560
Fuel Cell Technicians	5.2%	$63,200
Hazardous Materials Removal Workers	17.1%	$42,030
Heating and Air Conditioning Mechanics and Installers	14.7%	$47,610
Manufacturing Engineering Technologists	5.2%	$63,200
Mechanical Engineering Technologists	5.2%	$63,200
Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers	14.7%	$47,610
Solar Photovoltaic Installers	104.4%	$42,680

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Control Technology?

This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 174 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in environmental control technology in 2021, making it rank #265 in popularity. This major tends to be male dominated. About 77% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of environmental control tech majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	2
Black or African American	5
Hispanic or Latino	22
White	134
International Students	3
Other Races/Ethnicities	8

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Environmental Control Tech. About 1.7% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• India
• Saudi Arabia
• China
• Nigeria
• Nepal

How Much Do Environmental Control Technology Majors Make?

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

The median early-career salary of environmental control technology students with a bachelor’s degree is $50,075 a year according to 2019-2020 data from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $41,486 (25th percentile) and $60,017 (75th percentile).

We don’t know for sure if all of these people took jobs related to environmental control tech so take that into consideration.

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $47,050 to $65,720 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to environmental control tech. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Environmental Control Technology

Some careers associated with environmental control tech require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for environmental control tech careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	4.4%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	13.8%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	23.7%
Some College Courses	8.1%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	20.8%
Bachelor’s Degree	27.0%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	0.5%
Master’s Degree	1.5%
Post-Doctoral Training	0.3%

Online Environmental Control Technology Programs

In 2020-2021, 348 schools offered a environmental control tech program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	193	4
Certificate (2-4 Years)	6	0
Associate’s Degree	206	6
Bachelor’s Degree	3	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	8	2
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Environmental Control Technology Worth It?

The median salary for a environmental control tech grad is $50,160 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 26% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $205,200 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Environmental Control Technology

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to environmental control tech.

Major	Number of Grads
Industrial Production Technology	11,906
Electromechanical Engineering Technology	10,593
Drafting & Design Engineering Technology	8,964
Electronics Engineering Technology	8,592
Engineering-Related Fields	6,736
Mechanical Engineering Technology	6,013
General Engineering Technology	4,676
Construction Engineering Technology	4,330
Quality Control Technology	3,824
Computer Engineering Technology	3,595
Engineering Technology (Other)	1,768
Architectural Engineering Technology	1,290
Energy Systems Technologies	1,256
Civil Engineering Technology	1,187
Engineering-Related Technologies	989
Mining & Petroleum Technology	445
Nuclear Engineering Technology	220
Nanotechnology	114

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.